Need any easy way to take advantage of those dreaded networking events? Take this incredibly easy tip from my bestselling book, ENGAGE.

Yes, I know, networking events, for some people, particularly if you’re introverted, can be detestable. You dread them. You try to get out of them in any way possible. However, like it or not, they’re useful to your career. So you go, suffer through a bit of awkward small talk and then leave, wondering how useful that wasted two hours of your life actually was.

 

Stop letting these networking events go to waste and employ a little trick that I call “The Lost and the Lonely.”

You’re shy and introverted, but it’s likely that others at any event are as well. So instead of standing around on the sidelines, find that other person who’s likewise waiting for someone to swoop in and save them. Strike up a conversation with the other lonely guy in the room and you’ll soon find yourself relaxing and feeling more confident. You might even find that others begin to join your conversation, until your party of two turns into a whole group of interesting industry connections.

Read here for more ways on how to strike up a person and ace it in the first 15 seconds.

Want more top tips on overcoming your introverted attitude for the sake of your career? Visit the Engaging Executive Vlog.